Farming's relationship with technology dates back to the Stone Age. Over ten thousand years ago, the earliest farmers designed stone tools that dramatically improved their ability to produce food. Since then, farmers have invented irrigation systems, horse-drawn plows, mechanical reapers, and gas-powered tractors, all while feeding a growing and increasingly interconnected global population. Today's farmers continue to look for new and better ways to farm by utilizing high-tech tools that allow them to produce more food while using fewer resources. The practice of implementing these new technologies, referred to as "smart agriculture," is revolutionizing food production.
Some tools used in smart agriculture rely heavily on data from satellites. Satellites allow farmers to track weather systems and to see how the weather has impacted their crops. In the past, farmers relied on their own senses, historical patterns, and perhaps a farmer's almanac to determine when to plant seeds, water crops, or start the harvest. Today's farmers have an advantage over farmers of the past. They often have electronic weather monitoring stations in their fields. These small weather stations use sensors to collect and analyze data on temperature, rainfall, humidity, and wind. A large farm might have several weather stations that send data over the internet. Computer programs can combine this data with predictive weather modeling to make pinpointed decisions about when to irrigate, plant, and harvest.
GPS technology, which also relies on satellites, allows tractors and other machines to navigate through the fields, even without drivers. In addition to utilizing driverless technology, smart agriculture often involves other types of autonomous machines that use artificial intelligence (AI). These machines can be used to plant seeds, thin overcrowded crops, remove weeds, and even bring in the harvest all on their own. They do so in part by using specialized optical sensors. These sensors allow the robotic machines to "see" what they are doing in the fields. Optical sensors may also be used on insect traps to identify agricultural pests that need to be controlled. AI enables drones to recognize unwanted weeds and spray them with chemicals without harming the surrounding crops. Drones can also take photos or videos that enable farmers to view faraway crops from a desktop monitor.
Farmers receive a lot of data from these specialized machines, so they use computer programs to help them analyze the information and make the best decisions for their crops and livestock. The data they receive ranges from soil temperature to moisture levels to animal health. The devices that the farmers use are connected to each other and to the internet. The devices communicate information that allows farmers to get a complex and constantly updated "big picture" of what is happening in the fields.
Smart agriculture is sometimes called precision agriculture because, by utilizing these high-tech tools, farmers are able to use exactly the right resources in exactly the right places. This helps farmers save money, and it also helps them protect the environment. When farmers know just how much water their crops need, and exactly where it is needed, they waste less water. When they run their machines only when they are needed, they use less fuel, which reduces both expenses and air pollution. When farmers know just the right amount of fertilizer and pesticides they need to keep their crops healthy, they usually use much less. This helps keep the surrounding land, water, and wildlife healthier. Modern technology used in precision agriculture helps farmers produce more food for a growing population in ways that are potentially more sustainable and more profitable.
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